Being a homeowner comes with wearing many different hats and juggling various household duties. There are so many responsibilities and things that involve maintaining a home. Your HVAC system is a part of that. Your home heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system play a huge role in providing comfort and a safe place for you and your family to reside. Therefore, your HVAC system must be properly maintained to prolong its lifespan. But alas, you’re not a technician or a licensed contractor! So what can you do to practice proper upkeep of your residential HVAC system? No need to worry; we’ve got your back!
Here are five basics from our Circleville Heating & Cooling experts that they believe every homeowner should know about their residential HVAC system:
When Should You Get Your Units Maintained?
Each of your units needs to have its maintenance checks once a year. Having your seasonal tune-ups & safety checks done is a crucial step for homeowners to practice if they want to make sure their system lasts a long time. Typically, your furnace should be serviced in the fall, and your AC unit should be serviced in the spring. So if you haven’t done so yet, call us today, and we can get you booked for your spring tune-up & safety check.
Do You Know What Type of HVAC System You Have?
Knowing what type of HVAC system you have is a basic every homeowner should know. There are many types of furnaces and air conditioners. Do you know if your furnace runs on gas or electricity? Does your air conditioner system use forced or centralized air? It’s good to be prepared with knowledge about your HVAC system if anything sudden occurs; knowing these basic details about your system will alleviate any further stress.
Do You Know How Old Your HVAC System Is?
The next thing you want to know about your HVAC system is approximately how old it is. The older an HVAC system is, the less energy efficient it becomes. With today’s perpetual progression in technology, energy-efficient HVAC systems are constantly evolving. So keep that in mind if your HVAC units are older models. Your AC unit or furnace may have given you a good solid run, but they also might be high-energy consumers. So, in the end, you will be paying more out of pocket to keep up with your energy bills rather than taking the plunge and investing in an energy-efficient HVAC system.
How Do You Ensure Your HVAC System Is Used to Its Fullest Potential?
Energy bills tend to stack up rather quickly. Therefore, you will want to ensure that your HVAC system is set up for success and running smoothly. Here are a few tips & tricks to accomplish this:
- Smart thermostats like the Nest Learning Thermostat, for example, are a great tool to utilize if you are looking for energy-efficient ways to lower your energy bill.
- If you hear any unusual sounds or notice an unpleasant smell coming from your HVAC system, don’t ignore these. These signals can be signs of an issue going on. So be sure to have them checked out and addressed immediately!
- Experts suggest your home’s insulation should be 10-14 inches thick. Anything less can result in air escaping from your house and leading to your HVAC system overworking to make up for the escaped air.
- You also should regularly check if your ductwork has no holes, gaps, or openings that will allow air to leak out. Holes in your ductwork are the last thing you want when trying to maximize those energy savings!
How Often Do You Change Your Air Filter?
A common misconception is that air filters do not need to be changed very often. However, this is not true! When a filter is not changed out frequently, it can become clogged and overloaded. This leads to your HVAC system being unable to efficiently push out air, resulting in your system short cycling or causing various other HVAC problems. In addition, this will overwork your system, thus decreasing your HVAC system’s lifespan. So take it from us, keep those filters fresh and change them out every 1-2 months as recommended.
Remembering these five basic points for your HVAC system will aid in utilizing your residential HVAC system to its highest potential and prolong its lifespan. If you still need to schedule your spring tune-up & safety check would like to upgrade your thermostat, or need assistance with changing your air filters – whatever the need, Circleville Heating & Cooling is ready to serve you! Call us today, and we would be more than happy to get you on the schedule for our soonest available appointment. You can reach us at (740) 218-5323 or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
